HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-08-18 Town Council MinutesVAIL TOWN COUNCIL - MINUTES
TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 1998
7:00 P.M.
The regular meeting of the Vail Town Council was held in the Town Council Chambers on
Tuesday, August 18, 1998. The meeting was called to order at approximately 7:00 P.M.
COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: Rob Ford, Mayor
Ludwig Kurz, Mayor Pro-Tem
Michael Arnett
Kevin Foley
Michael Jewett
ABSENT: Sybil] Navas
Bob Armour
STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT: Bob McLaurin, Town Manager
Tom Moorhead, Town Attorney
Pam Brandmeyer, Assistant Town Manager
The first item on the agenda was Citizen Participation. Marvin Langer appeared before the
Council and expressed his concerns about the Common Ground decision. He said because Vail
Resorts stands to benefit most from the plan, it was not a practical solution. Joe Staufer shared
a newspaper article about employee housing in Breckenridge. Staufer said Breckenridge
appears to have embraced the concept more positively than Vail. Karl Fauland also addressed
90 the Council, stating he objected to the Common Ground decision because it did not reflect
majority support. He felt his neighborhood was already saturated with traffic, parking and animal
control programs with the current residents.
The second item on the agenda was first reading of Ordinance No. 12, Series of 1998, an
Ordinance Authorizing the Issuance of Town of Vail, Colorado Sales Tax Revenue Refunding
Bonds, Series 1998A and Taxable Sales Tax Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series 1998B;
Providing the Form, Terms and Conditions of the 1998 Bonds, the Manner and Terms of
Issuance, the Manner of Execution, the Method of Payment and the Security Therefor; Pledging
Sales Tax Revenues of the Town for the Payment of the 1998 Bonds; Providing Certain
Covenants and Other Details and Making Other Provisions Concerning the 1998 Bonds and the
Sales Tax Revenues; Ratifying Action Previously Taken and Appertaining Thereto; Repealing
all Ordinances in Conflict Herewith. Steve Thompson, Finance Director, stated the proposed
refinancing of a portion of the Town's debt would provide level debt service payments from
1999 until the year 2012. This refinancing would free up additional funds and enable the Town
to fund additional capital projects. The interest rate for this transaction will be lower than the
current debt service. Thompson stated the new debt principal and interest would extend debt to
2012. He stated refinancing would be at a lower interest rate and fully complies with theTabor
Amendment. Councilmember Jewett expressed his ordinance concerns, stating he had
reviewed the bonds and was concerned about payback. Jewett stated the Town needed to
address the process for competitive bids, as a great deal of money was at stake. Jewett felt no
alternative bids were given to Council. After some discussion, Councilmember Ludwig Kurz
1 Vail Town Council Minutes August 18, 1996
made a motion to approve Ordinance No. 12, Series of 1998, on first reading. Councilmember
Michael Arnett seconded the motion. Councilmember Kevin Foley stated he would like to stick
to the original schedule and have the debt paid off by 2006. a vote was taken and the motion
passed 4 to 1, Councilman Foley opposing. The second reading of the ordinance will be read
at the September 1st council meeting.
The third item on the agenda was a discussion of the Business License Fee by Vail First
Group.
Joe Staufer, long time local and business owner, spoke to the Council, stating that he was a
charter member of Vail Resort Association. He stated that Vail was then a small community that
had 90% membership from the Vail business owners. As Vail grew, the business license fee
was enacted in the mid-80's as permanent funding for VRA's efforts. VRA had been
successful at what was done and was good for Vail. Staufer disagreed with the change from
Vail Resort Association to Vail Valley Tourism and Convention Bureau. He felt the VVTCB
couldn't service everyone. He stated Vail was the first skier resort that had a central
reservation system. As a result, the license fee was taken away from the local community to
benefit the Town's competition. He stated Vail was the only town required to pay a business
license fee. He stated it was time to address what our needs are and get the funds back into
Vail. Staufer stated it was time to realize that every business in this town has two or three
competitors down valley and, although Vail contributes $700,000 on a $900,000 budget, Vail
gets exactly the same benefits. He stated it was shocking how much business was being
booked out of Vail. Jim Slevin, also a long time local and former business owner, addressed
the Council . He stated that in the early days, locals helped each other. He had served on
several different boards and felt that 30 years later things had definitely changed. He stated it
was difficult for Vail to compete with the Vilar Center, golf courses, Beaver Creek ice arena,
etc. Slevin suggested the Council walk around one more time this summer look at the condition
of the Village. He suggested several improvements were needed, including heated pavements,
additional lighting, and general updating. Lionshead business owner and former
Councilmember Rob Levine handed out a chart outlining the Antlers business since 1984. He
stated his business was up significantly and was largely as a result of the marketing of the
VVTCB. He asked the Council to not make any changes. Dick Elias, long time local and
former business manager, stated he was not here to get involved, but to give a little history - he
stated he had a vested interest because of his daughter's business. He stated Colorado was
#1 in tourism inquiries - never ranked #1 in bookings. He said sales tax returns are miserable
this summer. He stated Vail needs to promote Vail and that businesses need to take control
and that tax should be used to promote businesses in Vail. Jim Slevin addressed the Council
again, wanting to clarify that he had no vested interest and was not a part of Vail First. Jack
Curtin, part owner of Curtin -Hill Sports, stated that he felt Vail lost its identity by becoming
involved with the Vail Valley Marketing Board. He felt the marketing should be done in Vail
only. He stated that everything that was requested of the businesses had been accomplished
and now that it's budget time, it was time for the Council to commit to what they said they would
do. Frank Johnson, VVTCB Director, thanked Council for having faith over the last 10 years,
raising $300,000 for the marketing board. He stated that 60% who come to this area stay in
Vail. He felt Vail needed its own program, but didn't feel we should get rid of a program that
works. He stated there was nothing anyone could do about the building down valley and that
Vail is built out. He stated that Vail was 90% dependent on tourism. Steve Rosenthal
addressed the Council. He said he had bought a business in Vail and was concerned how
2 Vail Town Council Minutes August 18, 1998
marketing dollars were being spent. Kaye Ferry, Vail First, stated the reason for their
organization was to get the license fee dollars returned to Vail. She admitted it was not a
perfect solution and the group was open to any suggestions or ideas. No decisions were made
by Council at the conclusion of the presentation and this will be considered in the larger context
of the 1999-2000 budget approval process.
The fourth item on the agenda was a discussion on Common Ground, the next steps.
Mayor Rob Ford stated comments were welcome, but should be limited to the items listed on
the agenda. Andy Knudtsen attempted to go through the schedule. He stated that comments
from the community were welcomed and the staff would continue to work with the community
and the council and would be following up with comments. He also stated that anyone that was
not on the common ground mailing list and would like to be added should see Pam Brandmeyer
or Mary Caster to be added to the list.
Jerry Sibley, Matterhorn resident, addressed the Council, stating his frustration regarding the
procedure to make comments regarding the process of Common Ground and asked the
Council how opinions could be voiced. Sibley that meetings have been controlled and it was
hard to know when input was welcome. Sibley stated he felt the Town had done a good job in
providing its own employee housing and felt the Town was a good model for the business
community. He felt the procedure was "set in stone", contrary to what Andy Knudtsen. Senior
Housing Planner, said, and it was difficult for neighborhoods to have an input. Sibley stated he
felt it was a mistake to use open space purchased with RETT funds that were promised to be
open space. He stated there were places the Town could create, such as Cascade Village "
the ruins," the Old Town Shops, Berry Creek, unpurchased lands, and Timber Ridge. He felt
the Town Council could change at will without the neighborhood having a voice. He asked the
Council to reconsider. Mayor Ford stated he knew what Sibley was feeling and was willing to
set a time for another open house to discuss only open space and Common Ground. The
public in the audience strongly disagreed with Mayor Ford's comments and felt it would be
pigeon -holed to another meeting and was doing a great disservice to the local community.
Judy Sibley, Matterhorn residence, spoke regarding Donovan Park. She stated she was
opposed to using the property for housing. Diana Donovan stated she felt there should be zero
density on land zoned as open space. She stated she and her committee had presented the
Mayor with a list of many options before using open space, but felt that neither the Mayor nor
the Council had read them. Guy Ayrault stated he had attended the open house and was
unsuccessful in trying to express his feelings. He felt the June 30th resolution was in violation
of public trust. He felt that after the sessions were over, the Council was able to proceed as
they wished. He appealed to the Council to leave open space alone. Carol Hymers, Glen Lyon
resident, stated she supported affordable housing, and also expressed her wish to have the
Council take another look at viable options available as previously mentioned. She also stated
she did not support Resolution No. 9, as written. She asked council and staff to summit
information to homeowners timely so they can to participate. Paul Hymers, resident of Glen
Lyon subdivision - stated he was one of the participants suing the town to rescind Resolution
No. 9. He questioned why the Council was not interested in the preservation of open space
and why the RETT tax was enacted and then tried to be used to purchase employee housing.
He also questioned why the town master plan was being disregarded, why the Donovan Park
master plan was being ignored and why other parcels had not been pursued. He suggested
Vail Town Council Minutes August 18, 1998
incentives be given to homeowners to rent space. He wanted to know why the Town had
chosen to build seasonal housing with 4 and 5 bedrooms. He reminded the Council how much
trouble they had selling Vail Commons. He asked the Council who was driving this effort, who
would be able to purchase these units and why the town was entering into the development
business. Hymers questioned if there was in fact a housing crisis. He felted so many town
residents felt legal action was the only recourse and the Vail Town Council had been very
unresponsive to citizens and was not representing their constituency and had no regard for the
opinions of others. Ron Jones, Garmisch area resident, addressed the Council stating he
opposed the steps taken in common ground. He stated the Arosa/Garmisch area did not have
a designated park area. He stated the use of RETT tax revenues as a major funding source
for affordable housing was a gross misuse of this fund. He questioned how it could be used for
public housing. Jones stated Vail was #2 in ski magazines because of overcrowding. He
addressed the huge density planned for Lionshead and the change of zoning laws. He wanted
to know why Vail Resorts was not participating more in the affordable housing plan, especially
when they just purchased a 30 million dollar hotel in Breckenridge. He stated Vail Resorts
should be expected to pay for their own housing and it was time for them to lead the way.
Jones requested the Council to reconsider Resolution No.9 and its effects on the entire
community, such as, cars, pollution, and traffic. He requested the Council to reconsider their
decision and come up with a plan that would work for everyone. T.J. Connors,a 5 year
resident, and a plaintiff in one of the lawsuits, stated he did not agree with where and how the
affordable housing that was being planned was to be located and paid for and felt he was
backed into a corner to file the suit. He felt strongly that employee housing should be divided
into four parts - business owners, property owners, town government, and employees. There
was strong consensus from the audience that a more equitable way of providing housing would
be contributions from employees, Town of Vail, business owners and property owners.
Attorney Sally Jackle requested the Council to stop the process now and not to try to solve the
problem by taking away open space when there were many other viable options. Jackle stated
she too was frustrated by not being allowed to discuss these concerns in the common ground
process. She felt the Town should build on property owned by the Town, not on public land and
open space. She stated she was told by Community Development that she could not add
additional development to her residence because it would add too much density. She
suggested requiring a development or redevelopment to add employee housing. She reminded
the Council it was not too late to admit this was wrong and to start down another path. Wolf
Mueller, Matterhorn resident, spoke in defense of Donovan Park. He felt that other town -
owned properties should be used for affordable housing before any open space was looked at
and he was also opposed to using RETT funds for affordable housing. Mueller read a prepared
statement that he was not allowed to read at the June 30th meeting. He felt the Town should
do away with the RETT tax if it was not being used for open space. Flo Habenicht, a
Matterhorn resident, spoke regarding employee generation - give part of housing to
businesses. She quoted Andy Knudtsen in a newspaper article after a Glenwood Springs
meeting saying the Town had reached a crisis point and the burden should not be put on the
government . She stated that in regards Common Ground - Donovan Park was "uncommon
ground." She stated that once this property was built on, the Town would never get it back.
Valerie Fowler, who lives in Matterhorn, asked the Council to consider other sites available
without using open space. (Timber Ridge, the "ruins" at Cascade, ma bell). Nevin Nelson,
West Vail resident, asked the Council to respond as to why they are so intent on building on
open space and why this is not considered as a last resort. Mayor Ford stated he had
4 Vail Town Council Minutes August 18, 1998
repeatedly made an offer to do this at a meeting open to the public; however, the purpose of
the meeting tonight was to set up the schedule of Common Ground process. Nelson stated
the letter she had received said the meeting here tonight was to answer questions and she
would like an answer to this question tonight. Mayor Ford spoke to the audience stating that
the town looked at the map of available space and estimated that 30% of available building
ground was open space. Because of the lack of available ground, the Common Ground
concept was launched. Mayor Pro-tem Kurz, stated that what Mayor Ford said was correct.
Kurz stated the Council had received a high level of consensus that there was an employee
housing problem in the town. He acknowledged that the Town had slipped in some areas of
services provided, and with staff help, had looked at all the alternatives. Kurz stated that the
Council has talked about different areas, including the ruins, ma bell, and Timber Ridge, and
had come up with an equitable plan. He stated the plan might be less equitable in some areas
than others. He stated most of the speakers were West Vail residents, one or two were not
West Vail residents. Neighborhood impacts. He stated he was hearing "yes" there is a
problem. But let's resolve it somewhere else. He stated Berry Creek could be developed, but
do not build in the community.
Councilmember Mike Arnett stated he was as pro open space as anyone in this room. He
stated this was not an easy decision and the Council was using forward thinking in that within
10 years, the Vail population will double and the reason for affordable housing was to mouse
our own, and there would be no need for people to drive past Dowd Junction. Councilmember
Foley stated the night of June 30th, at 4 hour meeting he spoke of supporting employee
housing. He stated he supported the resolution to work toward getting the job done. if the
Town doesn't support affordable housing, people will go elsewhere. Foley stated the Town
needed to look at the plan as a whole, that more time was needed to talk and move forward.
Councilmember Mike Jewett stated he was the only dissenting vote against the process.
Jewett suggested a change in the Town Charter was in order and felt this decision should be
taken to a vote of the Vail residents, as opposed to the passage of Resolution No. 9. Jewett
made a prediction that if the Council continued on the same course, it will divide the Town and
the citizens . He stated he was very concerned that Council was not listening to the people.
Jewett stated he was the biggest pusher of employee housing and needed to reflect on where
we were going. He stated he would like to see the Council reflect on removing Resolution No. 9
and work with neighborhoods to address specific parcels of land. Jewett stated he refused to
go into executive session to be verbally abused. He stated that the public needed to
understand that things happen behind closed doors. Diana Donovan stated that the park is an
important part of the community and there are other alternatives to the housing problem. She
stated that the Town was selling a piece of property to second home owners rather than using it
for affordable housing and there were a lot of other opportunities other than open space.
Farrow Hitt, a Matterhorn area resident, suggested the Town re -read the definition of RETT
funds He felt the Council was ignoring the purpose of the ordinance. He recommended the
Council re -think what they're trying to do. He suggested the Council let the public know why
they don't want to build on alternative sites. He felt lots of good alternatives have been brought
up. He stated Donovan Park was designated open space for parks and recreation and
wondered when and how it got changed to public use and who did it. He stated he did not want
to offend the second home owner, but felt that affordable housing was only going to be built
where there was already employee housing. He stated the public trusted the Donovan Park
master plan and the community would be in attendance from here on to make sure it remained
5 Vail Town Council Minutes August 18, 1998
a public park.. Hitt stated he did not like being a part of the law suit, but felt he was never
allowed to talk about it. He questioned the Council about town park lands being used and why
it was not open for discussion. He was also concerned about there actually being an
affordable housing crisis. He stated Vail Associates laid off 300 employees last season. Hitt
stated Councilmember Navas had recommended immediate acquisition of Timber Ridge and
he wanted to know what had been done about that. Town Manager McLaurin replied that
nothing had been done at this time. Council and staff agreed that the Town needed to move
quickly on this matter.
Maryanne Molloy, a second home owner in Vail, stated she had toured affordable housing in
Boulder and invited the Council and staff to a tour there on Thursday. Councilmember Arnett
requested he be given literature. Sheila Sullivan, a West Vail resident, stated that Stephens
Park was her concern. She stated she attended Common Ground and tried to be heard, but
because of the format of the meeting was unable to do so. She asked the Council to please not
use open space for housing, but to redirect and reconsider their decision. Paula Fitzgerald,
West Vail resident, stated she was not opposed to development and the idea of increasing
density by adding bedrooms or lockoffs to existing buildings. Melvin Vaughn stated he had
purchased property in 1966 and was not a full time resident. He stated he had watched the
houses move down to the Matterhorn and Donovan Park area. He stated if vacant lands were
developed by RBTT money, it would change the area and who would stop the repurchase of
lands from Vail to be torn down and highrise concrete buildings built in their place. He advised
the Council not to lose the public trust by using these lands for public projects. Chas Bernhardt,
home owner in Intermountain, felt the densities were too high and needed to be changed. He
stated he had sent several letters - costs don't decrease by increasing density. He does want
to discuss Common Grounds. He had called, written several letters, and stated Councilmember
Jewett had answered his letters. He had also talked with Councilmember Arnett, who gave a
good explanation as to why the Council was moving in the direction they were, and Mayor Ford
called him from his vacation. Mayor Ford addressed the audience again, stating he and staff
would be happy to discuss Lionshead regarding employee housing. Jerry Sibley addressed
the Council again regarding process . He stated he would be interested in having a
representative from the neighborhoods be a part of the employee generation task force. Rob
Levine, manager of the Antlers Lodge in Lionshead, stated he has some employee housing
and that he advertised for employees for 2 months _ and received 2 applicants. Service levels
have gone down. Lionshead master plan has employee units. Rob was trying to figure out how
to do more. Viable alternatives have not turned out to be viable. It would be wrong to take 50%
of open space for employee housing. It would be appropriate to take less than 2% to solve this
problem He stated he admired Council for taking on this process. In regard to densities, Rob
stated Council should concentrate the most density to the core of the town. Sue Dugan
applauded Rob Levine for his views. She stated the Common Ground meetings were a good
process - moderators were professionals to get the group to consensus.. She also felt a
decision had been made before the meetings were held Ms. Dugan reminded Council that
they had questioned the legality of her unit. Primary residents will leave. Ron Mitchell rented in
Vail for 15 years. He stated there was no housing crises. Loss of open space was a definite
crisis. The price would be expensive and this should not to be confused with triple over -building
of Vail as it is occurring now. He felt a closer look needed to be taken at areas already
mentioned and at employee incentive programs. Council should explore more options for first
home buyers. He felt Resolution No. 9 should be abolished and RETT funds should not be
6 Vail Town Council Minutes August 18, 1998
used. He stated citizens needed to have a voice and that opportunity had not been given to
them. In a local paper, the listing of housing wanted was 3 ads. Joann Glenn, a West Vail
property owner, questioned the issue of what the next phase should be. Mayor Ford quoted
Vail development going on for decades, but each step had the same naysayers. The minority
continues to embrace confrontation. Locals are talking to you. Vail Tomorrow is a screening
process. What happened within Common Grounds. Ford hasn't seen any viable alternatives to
the Vail Commons plan. Need some common sense in Common Ground. Hearing what locals
feel is common sense. This situation was created by the fact that GRFA has always been an
issue. When those people approach the town for addition GRFA ,it was a struggle. If we could
make our properties more affordable to us, we would not be interested in using RETT funds . It
should not be funded by our government. Next phase for you is to repeal Resolution No. 9 and
listen to the majority of their constituency. Karin Scheidegger, West Vail full time resident,
stated she attended the Common Ground meetings. She stated she did not have a choice then
and was not having a choice now. She reminded the Council she had collected over 100
signatures objecting to building next to town manager's house. She stated that lots of lights
were on in her neighborhood and many alternatives have been given and to please consider
those. Consider an exemption to people who live here full time such as Avon's. It was stated
that Vail Commons owners were exempt from RETT fees and that could be a consideration
given to other local full time buyers. Jeb Jennings, a Vail Valley resident for 20 years, recently
moved back to the area. He stated the comments made tonight were important. He felt the
intentions of the Council were good but were a violation of public trust. He felt the issue should
be taken to a public vote and that Vail Resorts should get more involved. He stated that
taxpayers were being asked to furnish housing for VA employees. Suzanne Mueller,
Matterhorn resident, stated that she would like to participate. She stated she did not feel
welcome at the beginning of Vail Commons and to please consider what the Council would be
doing with Donovan Park. She also stated she would be willing to help with the process.
Mayor Ford stated that he looked at adoption of Resolution No. 9 as a starting point. From that
point, the Council could move forward with the neighborhoods to discuss the density in their
particular neighborhood. Ford stated he was disappointed that this did not happen. He again
expressed his and the Council's willingness to sit down in a nonheated environment to discuss
the issues. Ford stated he ran for Town Council to help the community solve some of its
problems. He agreed the open house on the June 30th was a little charged and realized that
not since the open house has there been an opportunity to sit down and discuss the
alternatives with the public. Ginny Culp addressed the Council stating they (the Council) was
seeing evidence that the process did not meet the needs of the community. She felt the
Council was on a predetermined course to build affordable housing on the public's open space
with the public's money. She stated the Council's reference to open space as "designated" land
was in fact open space bought by RETT and should not be used for affordable housing. She
questioned how the Council would prevent affordable housing residents from working and
commuting down valley. Mr. Arnett was concerned about down valley, build housing here,
given the town's enforcement of housing here. Councilmember Arnett stated there would be
deed restrictions of Red Sandstone employee housing and master leases would be signed by
properties sold to local business owners. Jerry Sibley spoke in reference to Habitat for
Humanities, noting that he had worked on a home in Gypsum. He stated the Town is not open
to Habitat For Humanities. Sally Jackie stated that Habitat for Humanities had backed out of
pursuing building in Vail because they felt they were not compatible with the neighborhood.
7 Vail Town Council Minutes August 18. 1998
Gena Whitten addressed the Council, agreeing with the neighborhoods in West Vail and
stating that the citizens needed to be heard. She stated the Council and staff need to go back
to ground zero. She felt there was not a consensus with regard to Resolution No. 9. Many
other issues were discussed in Vail Tomorrow. Whitten stated she was a former Planning
Commission member. She recalled that any time open space and RETT came up for
discussion, it was stated that it could not be used. She stated the Board of Realtors defended
RETT and felt RETT should be abolished if no open space was left to be purchased. She
stated the Council was missing the point and did not have the right to change the purpose.
She stated the people were not behind this. She suggested the East Vail Racquet Club was for
sale and the Council should take a look at that for consideration of affordable housing. She
also supported the idea of a one time exemption to RETT to anyone who was a full time
resident. Kaye Ferry, local business owner, defended the Council's actions, stating they were
performing in the best interest of the community. She stated Common Ground came out of the
Vail Tomorrow process and needed to be addressed.. Flo Habenicht addressed the Council
stating that there was a lot at stake here and the public was trying to save open space and the
Council was giving them a schedule. She felt the decision should be delayed until a plan that
most everyone agreed on could be reached. She suggested discussing this at the next work
session. Council member Jewett stated the issue must be voted on by the people. People are
speaking. He stated the only way this issue could be resolved would be to reverse Resolution
No. 9. Jewett felt the Council had alienated the people interested in affordable housing and felt
nothing was going to happen. Councilmember Jewett then made a motion to withdraw
Resolution No.9. Mayor Ford questioned Councilmember Jewett, asking him if he thought it
was fair to vote on a matter that was voted on by Councilmembers that were not in attendance
at this meeting. Councilmember Foley suggested the Council look at the calendar and set a
date for further discussion.
As there was no second to the motion, the motion died. Mayor Ford stated this discussion
would continue at the Sept. 15th evening meeting. Councilmember Foley proposed to modify
Resolution 9 after input from the community. Mayor Ford stated it was important to answer
some of the questions . He stated the Council would discuss it at the next work session. Ford
stated that Resolution No.9 was not to build anything, it just gives a direction in which to
proceed with the process. He stated the Council was not going to leave the public out of the
loop in determining the density and sites for affordable housing. Jerry Sibley stated that
eliminating the sentence about specific sites may make the resolution more appealing to the
public.
Councilmember Ludi Kurz addressed issues that he felt might have been misunderstood. He
addressed the loss of the Sunbird Lodge in Lionshead. He stated redevelopment in Lionshead
would not result in any net loss. He stated it was a a process the Council was going through.
He stated the Council was being accused of not listening to what the public was saying. He
stated he knew of no one who was behind this or driving this issue. He stated that many
discussions with the community have been held over the past several years. He suggested
everyone should stay away from snide and sarcastic remarks which are non -productive and are
a poor way of communicating. Kurz recommended setting a public hearing on the agenda for
worksession on the September 15th to discuss building on open spaces as opposed to
alternative spaces. He stated that all the alternatives addressed tonight would be open for
discussion at that time.
$ Vail Town Council Minutes August 18, 1998
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The fifth item on the agenda was the Town Manager's Report. Town Manager McLaurin stated
he had nothing to add to the report.
As there was no further business, a motion was made by Council member Kurz to adjourn the
meeting and was seconded by Council member Foley. a vote was taken and the motion
passed unanimously, 5-0.
The meeting was adjourned at 11:15 P.M.
Respectf submitte
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(Minutes taken by Mary Caster)
9
Vail Town Council Minutes August 18, 1998
WORK SESSION MINUTES
Tuesday, August 18, 1998
2:00 P.M.
Town of Vail Council Chambers
What follows will reflect motions and actions taken by the Vail Town Council at their regular
work session on August 18, 1998. All members were present with the exception of Kevin Foley,
Sybill Navas and Bob Armour.
Item No. 2, Turn It Up! Vail funding request. A request for the 1998 Turn It Up! program
was made of Council by Kaye Ferry, representing the Vail Merchant's Association, in the
amount of $24,000.00. Michael Arnett moved, with a second from Ludwig Kurz, to
approve a supplemental appropriation of up to $24,000.00. A vote was taken and the
motion passed unanimously, 4-0.
2. Item No. 3, Jim Heber, representing the Vail Recreation District, requested the Town
Council's permission to proceed through the public process. The Town Council's
permission is required since the VRD is proposing an expansion to the Dobson Ice Arena.
The Ice Arena is owned by the Town of Vail and leased to the Vail Recreation District.
The VRD is proposing a locker room expansion as well as construction of a new
gymnastics facility at the Dobson Arena. The plans are currently in the conceptual stages.
09 The expansion and new construction is proposed to occur on the east side of the ice arena.
Larry Grafel indicated he would be interested in having the primary entrance to the
Dobson Arena moved to the west side of the arena, as well as provision made for loading
and unloading outside the main pass -through corridor between the arena and the library.
VRD staff assured the Town they would get comments from the Public Works Division.
Following discussion, Mike Arnett moved, with a second from Ludwig Kurz, to approve
the VRD's proceeding through the public process. A vote was taken and the motion
passed unanimously, 4-0.
3. Item No. 5, Village Core Construction Update. Following Larry Grafel's weekly report,
Mike Jewett requested the Council discuss the request for funding of up to $150,000.00
to construct the free right turn headed west on the South Frontage Road that would allow
a 180 degree turn onto Interstate 70 from the Frontage Road. Upon completion of
discussion, all four Council member were in positive consensus to proceed with this
construction in the fall of 1998. Bob McLaurin and Larry Grafel indicated that funding
was currently available in the Capital Projects Fund for this year.
M
TOWN OF VAIL
75 South Frontage Road
Vail, Colorado 81657
970-479-2100
FAX 970-479-2157
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MEDIA ADVISORY
August 19, 1998
Contact: Suzanne Siiverthorn, 479-2115
Community Information Office
VAIL TOWN COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS FOR AUGUST 18
Work Session Briefs
Council members present: Arnett, Ford, Jewett, Kurz
--Presentation by St. Moritz Exchange Student
Rico Malgiaretta, a exchange student from Vail's sister city (St. Moritz, Switzerland), presenter[
the Town Council with several gifts from his community. Rico was introduced to the Council by
Peter Franke. The Franke's are serving as a host family.
--Turn It Up Funding Request.
Following a presentation by Kaye Ferry of the Village Merchant Association, the Council voted 4-
0 to fund up to $24,000 for the 1998 Turn it Up Vail activities. Last year, the Town of Vail funded
the program at the $19,000 level. The program, now in its third year, provides training for as
many as 600 frontline employees.
--Vail Recreation District Request
The Council voted 4-0 to allow the Vail Recreation District (VRD) to go through the development
review process -to expand Dobson Arena. The ice arena is owned by the town and leased to the
VRD. The VRD has proposed a locker room expansion and the construction of a new
gymnastics facility on the east side of the arena. The plans are currently in the conceptual
stages. The public process would involve hearings before the Planning and Environmental
Commission and the Design Review Board.
--Criteria for the Red Sandstone Lottery
In preparation for November's public lottery for the six Red Sandstone affordable housing units,
the Council reviewed a list of criteria and gave preliminary approval to the following: use longevity
of employment in Vail or residency in Vail to rank candidates within the top tier;,allow for
participation by downvalley residents, but at a lower tier;
put families with children in a higher tier for the larger units (rather than single owners who may
or may not have roommates); and limit participation to only those who are not currently owning
real estate. Councilmembers will be asked to finalize the criteria at next week's work session.
Lottery applications would then be available to the public beginning Sept. 1. For more
information, contact Andy Knudtsen at 479-2440.
--Village Core Construction Update
Public Works/Transportation Director Larry Grafel provided an update on the Village
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construction projects. He said most of the projects will be substantially complete within two
weeks. Also, beginning Friday this week and continuing into next week, West Vail bus route
streets on the north side of the Frontage Road will receive an asphalt overlay.
Fallowing a question by Councilman Michael Jewett, the Council agreed to move forward with
construction of a buttonhook turn at the Main Vail roundabout that will connect to the 1-70
eastbound on -ramp. Construction will occur this fall.
--Information Update
In preparation for the evening meeting, Finance Director Steve Thompson and the town's
financial advisor Peter Zent appeared before the Council to answer questions regarding the
town's refinancing efforts. Councilman Michael Jewett had asked to explore several approaches
that might help the town buy down its principle, but those options proved to be less economical
than the package approved later at the evening meeting.
Evening Session Briefs
Council members present: Arnett, Foley, Ford, Jewett, Kurz
--Citizen Participation
Marvin Langer appeared before the Council and expressed his concerns about the Common
Ground decision. He said because Vail Resorts stands to benefit most from the plan, it is not a
practical solution.
Joe Staufer shared a newspaper article about employee housing initiatives in Breckenridge.
Staufer said Breckenridge appears to have embraced the concept more positively than Vail.
Next, Karl Fauland, a resident of West Vail, said he objected to the Common Ground decision
because it doesn't reflect majority support. He said his neighborhood doesn't need more
employee housing because it's already plagued by traffic, parking and animal control problems.
--Ordinance to Refinance TOV Debt
The Council voted 4-1 (Foley against) to approve first reading of an ordinance that would enable
a portion of the town's debt to be refinanced at a lower interest rate. As proposed, the
refinancing would level off payments to about $2.3 million per year from 1999 to 2012. That
compares to the existing debt service which calls for payments as high as $3.4 million between
now and 2005. Refinancing would free up about $7 million in funding between 1998 and 2006,
according to the town's financial advisors.
During discussion, Councilman Michael Jewett said the town should have considered a
competitive bid process for the refinancing. Also, Councilman Kevin Foley repeated his concerns
expressed previously that extended debt payments could burden future councils. Instead, Foley
said he'd rather stick to the current debt schedule and pay the bonds off by 2006. For more
information, contact Finance Director Steve Thompson at 479-2116.
--Discussion of Business License Fee by Vail First Group
In preparation for budget decisions later in the year, the Council heard a presentation from Joe
Staufer along with other representatives from Vail 1 st. This group of Vail business owners has
proposed redirecting the town's annual business license fee collections, about $350,000
annually, away from the Vail Valley Marketing Board and using the funds to market Vail
exclusively at the direction of Vail 1st. While Staufer said the business owners aren't against the
concept of regional marketing, he said Vail should no longer fund the Marketing Board at a higher
level than the other regional partners. The merchants reminded Councilmembers that because
deadlines to secure a permanent funding source for regional marketing have lapsed, ow
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it's now time to move forward and allow those dollars to be redirected to Vail. Frank Johnson,
president of the Vail Valley Tourism & Convention Bureau, said he supports the idea of a Vail -
based marketing program. But dismantling the existing program, he said, would be detrimental.
The Marketing Board is currently pursuing a lodging tax that could go to the voters next
November in its pursuit of a permanent funding source. Also speaking yesterday was former
Councilmember Jim Slevin who challenged the Council to reinvest in the community; and Rob
LeVine, general manager of the Antlers, who asked Council to retain the regional marketing
program until a permanent funding source is in place. No decisions were made at last night's
meeting.
--Common Ground Next Steps
The Council listened to about three hours of public comment from about 30 citizens in an attempt
to move the Common Ground process into its next phase. But because many of the comments
centered on specifics of the plan, rather than next steps, the Council postponed action and
instead, at the suggestion of Councilman Kevin Foley, agreed to host a follow-up session at its
Sept. 15 evening meeting to discuss the plan in more detail and to evaluate the other options
that have been suggested. Recommended options and approaches that were presented last
night included the following:
• As an employer, TOV should set a housing goal for its employees that would serve as a
model for other businesses.
• TOV shouldn't use open space lands, such as Donovan Park, which were purchased with
Real Estate Transfer Tax Funds, for housing. Or, at the very least, use these lands as a
last option.
• Consider housing developments on other lands, including the Ruins (at Cascade Village),
the Old Town Shops site, the Mountain Bell site, the Public Works shop site and at Berry
• Creek Fifth in Edwards.
Slow the process down.
• Provide opportunities for four groups to contribute to the solution equitably: 1) employees;
2) Town of Vail; 3) business community; 4) property owners
• Stop the process and revisit the June 30 decision.
• Exhaust all other alternatives before breaking ground on a new project.
• Create additional flexibility with current zoning codes to make employee housing units
easier to add to existing properties.
• Move ahead with an employee generation ordinance.
• Create strict enforcement of existing deed -restricted units.
• Move forward with the Timber Ridge property to ensure the deed restrictions are
preserved after 2001.
• Bring in design teams from Boulder and elsewhere and sponsor neighborhood design
charettes to explore new urbanism concepts.
• Mix seasonal units with owner occupied units.
• Avoid using RETT funds for housing.
• Ensure adequate housing solutions within the Lionshead Redevelopment Master Plan.
• Create an Employee Generation Task Force with representation from each of the
neighborhoods.
• Consider concept of registering neighborhood associations to serve as a liaison with the
town.
• Concentrate densities as close to the core of town as possible.
• Consider an exemption on RETT similar to Avon's for first-time home buyers.
• Take the plan to a public vote.
• Involve the business community to a greater degree, especially Vail Resorts.
• Bring together the private landowners and business community to address the problem
through private sector initiatives.
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• Recruit Habitat for Humanity to build housing in Vail.
• Abolish the Real Estate Transfer Tax and take a housing tax to a public vote.
• Use Forest Service land for housing, such as Trapper's Run or Vail Mountain.
• Explore. development rights at the Vail Racquet Club.
Also last night, Councilman Michael Jewett unsuccessfully attempted to overturn the Common
Ground resolution which was adopted by a 6-1 Council vote on June 30. Jewett's motion failed
for lack of a second. Jewett, who voted against the plan, predicted emergence of a grassroots
campaign that would attempt to amend the Town Charter so that changes in land use would
need voter approval. Councilman Ludwig Kurz said he was heartened by the evening's
discussion on Common Ground. As strongly opposed as some of the speakers were, he noted
that many in the audience acknowledged the need to address the housing problem and were
willing to assist the Council in "making the right decisions." Mayor Rob Ford, along with
Councilmembers Foley, Arnett and Kurz said the Council would continue to seek the involvement
of each of the neighborhoods as alternatives and next steps are explored. Ford, in particular,
made several overtures to the audience last night to continue the dialogue elsewhere. He said
he was disappointed the audience focused on debating appropriateness of the plan rather than
providing feedback on a proposed schedule for next steps, which was last night's agenda topic.
For a listing of each of the speakers from last night, contact the Town Clerk's Office at 479-2136.
--Town Manager's Report
Bob McLaurin noted that construction will begin soon on a free right turn that will allow traffic
from the Village parking structure to access 1-70 eastbound without entering the Main Vail
roundabout. The estimated cost is $150,000 and will be funded within the town's existing
budget.
UPCOMING DISCUSSION TOPICS
August 25 Work Session
Cooter Overcash, 20 Year Anniversary
Brian Canepa, 15 Year Anniversary
PEC/DRB Review
Red Sandstone Lottery
Vail Valley Community Television Channel 5 Update
September 1 Work Session
Second Quarter Financial Report
Multi -Family GRFA Discussion
Glen Lyon Office Building
September 1 Evening Meeting
First Reading, Supplemental Appropriation Ordinance
Second Reading, Bond Refinancing
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